These last 6 months I have been mainly...

Warning - picture heavy post (and very few words) well, don't they say a picture says a thousand words?!?

Since early February I have....



Survived the heavy snow we had... the picture with Carter shows the main lane at the top of our track, totally impassable.



I have learnt to weave on my mother's old Weavemaster 2 shaft loom.

Tried to learn to spin using a scrummy drop spindle I bought (made from walnut and wild olive, mmm the smell!).



Bought an old Ashford Scholar spinning wheel from a woman at my weaving class. They're all enablers, I tell you :)



Knit my first ever shawl - this is Ishbel knit in Cariad Flimstone Bay (aka Posh Yarns Emily) 4ply.


Been over on a solo trip to Normandie to check on the barn...



It was hip high in nettles and thistles - all three quarters of an acre!!!




Taught sock knitting classes at my LYS, Fiddlesticks in Honiton (there's the lovely Barbara in the far right opposite where I'd be seated).



Met Isla, my new great-niece-in-law!


Spent a week with my fossils out in Spain...



... and I cooked too! See, evidence above :)



Whilst in Spain I went to a little museum dedicated to Miro, not very far from my parent's place. It was lovely, and very inspirational seeing his earlier work before he went totally surreal.



I've been growing potatoes...



... and tomatoes in the new little greenhouse (Freecycle is a wonderful thing!)...



... and all sorts of other veg in our raised bed.




I've spun my very first little ball of yarn, this is it all bright an green after I plied it.



Knitting more socks, of course.



Taking this lovely roving (from Wildcraft) and turning it into a couple of bobbins of this...


which I will eventually ply together.



Using my little Scholar (named Maria which I thought apt as it was the name my maternal grandmother was known by - mainly because her first name was very old Polish and chosen so that it wasn't easily pronounced by the occupying Germans in the late 19th century! I also thought Maria was a good solid name with historical roots that just felt right for my first wheel) to spin some lovely BFL/silk roving into a hank of singles which I will use for weaving.


More soon!

New Start :: 2009

Well, the start of a new year brings with it many new ideas, hopes and thoughts.

Being inspired by Project365, where a photo is taken every day and posted online (either Flickr or a blog), I didn't want to be tied down by this and will take the concept and rework it into something that suits me. Perhaps that should be my aim for the coming year: don't try and change myself to fit into other people's expectations but allow me to come to terms with my own character and let it shine.

I plan to use my blog far more this coming year, not by giving myself the challenge of daily blogging, but you never know how it will turn out!

My hopes for the coming year...

... develop my writing outlets and have more work published in magazines...
... enjoy my many skills: cooking, sewing, knitting, painting, languages, animals...
... see our project in France develop into something resembling something more than a barn...
... try to maintain (and better) my health, both physical and mental, and not wallow in self pity that I haven't achieved unachievable goals (have you spotted that none of these are stated as resolutions for 2009?)...

Let's see how these outlines shape themselves in the coming months.


First finished project for 2009: Winter Cottage Mittens, my very first pair, from a kit purchased from Posh Yarn, hand-dyed scrummy yarn and pattern developed by the lovely Dee from Posh. The pics are of the just finished mittens, not blocked so a little lumpy until I pull them off my hands to wash and block them!

I love mittens. I recall a bright red pair, with a cable down the front and a crocheted string to hold them in lace attached to my coat, from my childhood. I loved them and, in a recent conversation with Mamo, found that I was very young when I had these (knitted by her fair hand) so they must have struck a cord to stick in my memory like this.

I feel these won't be my last mittens this year - any pattern suggestions?

Chestnuts roasting by the open fire...

Corny old song lines always get to me.

Although this isn't an open fire, and certainly isn't a chestnut, I'm pleased with these socks which I presented to my brother for his recent big birthday. Although his reaction was a little underwhelmed, once DH had proudly shown him his own handmade socks (on his feet, lilttle love) my bro realised that this was a labour of love and something money couldn't buy.



I forget that non-knitters, and people not subjected to living with a knitter, just don't get the time and effort that goes into a knitted object. I like to say that a hand-knitted sock or scarf is like being wrapped in love!

Anyone for tea?

Aren’t these glorious? So much fun, even though I rarely drink tea… I’m tempted to knit one. They are from a UK company called Re-Found Objects and can be found here. A great way to create the perfect colour scheme, with a touch of pizzazz in a cutesy sort of way. Am I going daft??

Another gorgeous cosy has been created by the inspirational Jane over at Yarnstorm – wonderful!



Perfect for sitting out on the lawn in the sunshine (of which we have much promised for this Easter weekend – yippee!) so kick back those shoes and chill out… have a lovely weekend everyone!

Two Generations :: 65 Years Apart!

Isn't this a wonderful sight?







Grandmother :: granddaughter :: 65 years apart :: what a wonderful, heartwarming sight!















The look of utter concentration, and I hope pleasure, on my darling niece's face is a pleasure to see. And what's even more lovely is that I taught her to knit only an hour or two prior to this photo!

Make's me feel all warm and ever so slightly tearful....

Naughty Zoot; Naughty, Naughty Zoot...

(reference to Monty Python's Holy Grail - good but Life of Brian is better!).

Many, many apologies for being absent - I will attempt to catch up over the next few days. Lots of changes: I'm now freelance (couldn't stand the corporate thing any longer) and loving it. The Man says he has a new wife (let me at her: I'll claw her eyes out!) cos I'm so chilled now - that's a first for a very long time...

Bye for now - I feel better having logged in.

Yesterday at Exmouth beach...












thank you mummy - that was fun - Carter xxx

Some new yummies

Naughty, naughty girl... bought the yarn from my LYS in Exeter, and the pattern and counter (great for socks I should think!) from Get Knitted (thank you Sue for the sock pattern - nearly finished!).



Talking of socks, the orange yarn is a tough feeling 4 ply which I thought would be great for some cabled socks, but still to find the pattern. Love the pattern but am trying not to think about big projects as I have so many potentials and I'm enjoying the likkle projects at present. I'm on the second sock now, in the Opal yarn I bought last week, and I'm really chuffed that they look so good. I've decided that socks need to be made in extra special yarn or at least be an extra special pattern to make it all worthwhile - any recommendations of yarn and/or patterns you've used and loved - let me know!

Socks! & A Hat!!

Just back from my art group (every Monday evening) and feeling a little dejected and demoralised. Working with oils tonight, which I hate, and I just overworked my image of an iris and totally ruined it - so much so that I can't even bear to show it here...

However...
Finally finished the Clapotis Hat... the crown looks great, but not so happy with the size of the piece - just far too big. I sense another frogging coming on (is this a sign of becoming a more advanced knitter when you're happy to frog - or is it just as I'm getting older I'm getting a little more selective?

And - da daa - I started my first sock ever on Wednesday. Rather than risk my Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn, I bought some Opal yarn to try all the skills needed. It's going great! A few ickies but noting to worry about. Just got to the Kitchener grafting stage which I need to find the sock knitting tutorial link which will help me do the job (this is a fab link by the way).

However, I bought some Jaeger Alpaca in a gingery-chocolate colour today in my LYS so perhaps I'll never quite get to use my Lorna's Laces?!?

Clapotis Hat - and a sad cake

Finally got stuck into the Clapotis Hat, mentioned previously, and it's going okay. I feel if when I get to the top of the hat, and it doesn't look right, I may have to frog it all and start again. I can see how fabulous it could look though - and it will be great to have the matching set... mmmm, what next?!?

Have finished knitting both the Knotted Bootees - but have fallen at the hurdle of the last tie needed for the final bootee... promise will finish by tonight!

And finally, I attempted a Victoria Sponge yesterday. Tastes lovely - filling of blackcurrant conserve with fresh raspberries and whipped cream (yes, I know, the diet!) - but the sponge itself didn't end up light and airy. It rose beautifully but collapsed soon after. Either the oven, or the KitchenAid mixer didn't put in enough air. Methinks it may be back to the old fashioned aching arm method next time - I've started limbering up!

Heading off to my local LYS today... I hear they have SWTC Bamboo in stock and I've not seen this one in the flesh... I feel a lighter purse will be in my handbag this evening!

The Knitting Saga - not quite an Aga Saga!

I'm really suffering from flu at present and have nobody to talk to so I'm taking it out on my blog!

I mentioned previously that I have a known tendency to start things and not finish them - even if all it takes is to block and make it up. Ladies and gentlemen... this has now changed! On Christmas Day I started knitting a Clapotis in Noro’s Silk Garden (colour 224)... and finished it on the 4th January - yay! I was like a woman possessed, knitting at every opportunity possible with this gorgeous yarn. I found the pattern easy - although I couldn’t for the life of me work out ssk (having a blonde day) so just did k2tog instead. I don’t think it shows on the pattern, although others may argue - I just don’t care... it’s finished!! I found great enthusiasm and encouragement listening to some knitting podcasts, especially Brenda Dayne’s Cast-On - thank you soooo much Brenda, I feel you are a true friend and I don’t even know you!




I taught myself to knit when I was about 7 years old, much to my mother’s amazement: seeing me knitting in very thick, bright orange wool on huge wooden needles (I’m sure in hindsight it was only 5mm needles and aran weight wool but to a wee sprog this seemed huge). Both my mother and grandmother were very prolific craftswomen: knitting, quilting, sewing clothes, weaving, etc, that I know this is where I got my enthusiasm for all things handmade.

Growing up in a liberal and quite bohemian atmosphere with a mother who was keen to generate a replica of The Good Life in west London where we lived, which then expanded to a cottage in Gloucestershire (near the current home of HRH don’t you know!) for weekends. Couldn’t have been easy to do holding down a full-time teaching job, bringing up 4 children, running a household with your mother incumbent and your husband working long hours... phew, makes me feel tired thinking about it! I remember going to bed when I was about 8 or 9 with my mother starting cutting out a pattern for a dress for me and then getting up in the morning to a finished garment - she must have worked until 2am and then got up at 6am to prepare breakfast for us all! I never really appreciated what she did for us, so my way of giving thanks (apart from saying I love you Mamo!) is to be creative myself - damn I thought she had a spinning wheel which is what I’d like to try next, but unfortunately not (The Man wouldn’t agree with me and will be thanking all deities that it doesn’t exist...).

Since the wonderful Clapotis - of which you will no doubt see many versions of this very ‘now’ pattern online (for once, I’m current - yippee) - I have knitted a couple of pairs of really sweet bootees for a friend who’s just had a beautiful baby girl called Alannah - one made from Rowan’s Kid Classic in cream and the other in Rowan’s Cashsoft DK in a coffee colour. Both pairs finished (and stitched into shape) and just waiting for adornment - I thought I’d make some teeny felted flowers using needle felting with maybe a seed bead or two - what do you think?

My dilemma is what next? I’ve started another pair of bootees (all of these are from Zoe Mellor’s book 50 Baby Bootees to Knit) this time some knot bootees using Rowan Kidsilk Haze in cherry - but the needles are tiny and I have to use the yarn doubled and they’re horrid to knit...taking forever. Finished one bootee so I suppose I’d best stick with it and finish the second especially after all’s been said above!

Perhaps then the French Market felted bag from Knitty, or a Clapotis Cap from Needles & Hooks, or socks from Lorna’s Laces Shepherd’s Sock Yarn just waiting in the shadows for me to try my hand at socks...the list goes on (just like my posts - sorry). And I’ve fallen in love with the Eris cardigan from the girl from auntie, but it looks darn complicated for my present state of mind.

Best go and knit - will try not to have verbal diarrhoea next time.... as if!